With selfies and Instagram posts, today's most forward-thinking architects share their visions

SOU FUJIMOTO

SOU FUJIMOTO

Japan's SOU FUJIMOTO draws on nature— organic structures like forests, nests, and caves—to upend conventional assumptions about what a space for living can actually look like. His light-filled houses make us question the necessity of even such basic elements as walls and staircases in favor of a groundbreaking new architecture of openness and flexibility. As a result, Fujimoto's star is rising in the West: On the heels of his acclaimed 2013 Cloud Pavilion at London's Serpentine Gallery, he is creating one of his biggest structures yet, a "white tree" tower in Montpellier, France.

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: Sou Fujimoto; A design for an apartment tower in Montpellier, France; Fujimoto's House NA in Tokyo.

VINCENT VAN DUYSEN

VINCENT VAN DUYSEN

With his spare but luxurious designs, Antwerp, Belgium, architect VINCENT VAN DUYSEN shows that a minimalist approach need not sacrifice comfort and livability. Inspired by the late Belgian decorator Jean de Meulder, who taught him what he calls "l'art de vivre," he was one of the first to use natural wood and Belgian linen to warm up his interiors. For Van Duysen, the smallest detail counts, which is why, in addition to homes and skyscrapers, he designs everything from hardware to furniture to chandeliers.